# A question for the wine gurus



## Steve (Jan 18, 2006)

My wife and I have been thinking about picking up a bottle or two a week and putting them up for 5-10 years. Any suggestions on affordable (<$20~/bottle) wines that would be good for this?

We are thinking about Cabs and Merlots, maybe a Pinot.

Thanks!

Steve


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## galaga (Sep 18, 2003)

Steve said:


> My wife and I have been thinking about picking up a bottle or two a week and putting them up for 5-10 years. Any suggestions on affordable (<$20~/bottle) wines that would be good for this?
> 
> We are thinking about Cabs and Merlots, maybe a Pinot.
> 
> ...


Check out a magazine called Wine Spectator -- more suggestions than you can shake a stick at.


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## rumballs (Mar 15, 2005)

There are people here who know way more about wine than I do, but I would say that bottles in that price range aren't really intended for aging. That's not to say that they won't be good in 5-10 years, but they probably won't improve nearly as much as a more expensive bottle...


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## Steve (Jan 18, 2006)

Let me rephrase the question (the <$20/bottle was just a swaq shot at a price).

Any suggestions on wines that a honest working man with a cigar fetish and no trust fund might afford that would be good after aging a few years? 



mmblz said:


> There are people here who know way more about wine than I do, but I would say that bottles in that price range aren't really intended for aging. That's not to say that they won't be good in 5-10 years, but they probably won't improve nearly as much as a more expensive bottle...


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## rumballs (Mar 15, 2005)

Here are my haphazard suggestions (again, I love drinking wine and I generally know what I like, but I'm no expert):

Twomey Merlot (around $65)
Cuvaison Cabernet (around $35)
Steven Kent Cabernet (around $45)
a good Chateauneuf-du-Pape ($25 and up, I would aim for at least $40)


anyways, where are Fredster, NavyDoc, and all the other wine nuts?


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## billybarue (Mar 20, 2006)

mmblz said:


> Here are my haphazard suggestions (again, I love drinking wine and I generally know what I like, but I'm no expert):
> 
> a good *Chateauneuf-du-Pape *($25 and up, I would aim for at least $40)
> 
> anyways, where are Fredster, NavyDoc, and all the other wine nuts?


:tpd: I have to agree on the Chateauneuf. More approachable in price than the other full bodied french reds, and it will age well.

Small region outside of Avignon in the South of France. I was fortunate enough to spend almost 4 months on a joint Air Force assignment just outside of Marseilles. The Rhone river valley (and the Chateauneuf region) were only about 90 minutes away - that's when I stumbled across it. My supply is from @97 and is probably getting past time to consume it. Sadly, I don't buy French wines anymore so when they are gone - C'est la vie.

For an even more affordable (but drink it now) wine from the area, you can go with Cotes du Rhone.

Cheers,

BillyBarue


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

If you can get to a Costco, get the Kirkland Bordeaux. It's Margaux blend (Margaux is the most expensive appelation in Bordeaux) and it goes for $20.00. From my calculations, this wine should be around $30-40 minimum if you bought it under the original vinyard's name.


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## caskwith (Apr 10, 2006)

billybarue said:


> :tpd: I have to agree on the Chateauneuf......
> .......For an even more affordable (but drink it now) wine from the area, you can go with Cotes du Rhone.
> 
> Cheers,
> ...


I totally agree. Chateuneuf's are great for ageing and they dont break the bank. I personally drink alot (ok, far too much) Cote's du Rhone, esp a certain Cote's du Rhones Villages Reserve. Got a few bottles of 2003 left, thats a good one but the 2005 is surprisingly good considering its age, not so heavy.


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

A Barossa Valley Shiraz or Shiraz/Cab mix could be interesting with 10+ years on it. $25.00 gets you a bang up wine from the that region.


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## billybarue (Mar 20, 2006)

Moses speaks the truth - I now do most of my buying from our friends from "down under". Barossa valley reds are outstanding. If you want to spend some money look for a Penfolds Grange - that baby will age very well, but it is some heavier coin than Chateauneuf.

I got very lucky because my wife's uncle was one of the higher ups at SouthCorp wines - the largest producer in Australia (Lindemans, Penfolds, Rosemont Estate, etc), and we got to visit a couple of years ago. the Aussies have a great wine culture and are producing great wines. Her uncle said one of the largest customers is FRANCE. The French have most of their winemaking restrictions written into law and cannot change with the times. The Aussies (and the rest of the world, for the most part) don't have those restrictions and are free to blend and change alcohol content to suit taste. We had some great tours and had a great time. I went nuts and bought a 100 year old Seppelt Port (Old Para Liqueur) from 1900 (http://www.seppelt.com.au/wines/100year.html). Now there is some age for ya. They let us sample some on a tour - just my wife, me, and her Uncle, and I just couldn't resist. It was like buying a piece of Australia.

Cheers,

BillyBarue


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## RPB67 (Mar 26, 2005)

Wine is just like cigars.

My father makes and ages wine all the time. He has a great collection. If you are going to age wine you need the correct enviorment.

If the enviorment is wrong the corks will either dry out or loose its seal a bit and you will have vinegar in 5-10 years.

Read up on it before you spend big money on bottles to age.


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## Malik23 (Sep 21, 2006)

Honestly, if you are only aging 5-10 years, $20 a bottle is a good range to be in, especially for cabs and cab blends, which is where I would say your money is best spent. In my experience, most of the time the difference between a $15-20 bottle and a $50 bottle is very small. It's once you start looking at the $100 and up bottles that you start to see a real quality break. 

Normally, I would say your best bet is to buy 6-10 different bottles and try them all, finding one that you like best to put away, but I can't describe the flavor(s) I find in wine that say to me "this needs age". It's a certain sharpness without major acidity. 

One thing that is certainly worth trying, is talking to wine store owners, in the store or without. Tell them what you are looking for, and, chances are, they will give you some things to try and/or work with, and they will always suggest things they have in stock 

Searching on the web for wine and aging is also definitely an option, I know my wife did a fair bit of that a few months ago for the wedding present we gave her brother, 6 bottles of wine to start his cellar, 1 each for 1yr, 5yrs, 10yrs, 15yrs, 20yrs, and 25yrs. Made for a very nice gift.


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## Charles (Sep 28, 2005)

mmblz said:


> There are people here who know way more about wine than I do, but I would say that bottles in that price range aren't really intended for aging. That's not to say that they won't be good in 5-10 years, but they probably won't improve nearly as much as a more expensive bottle...


:tpd:

I would recommend that you do a lot of research before you try to age wines yourself. A lot of the wines you find in stores are ready for drinking and really won't improve with age. If you live anywhere near a vintner you could go visit and talk to an expert.:2

Good luck and let us know how it goes.


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## LasciviousXXX (Oct 12, 2004)

Cab blends are a GREAT way to go. Lovin' the blends at the moment.

Also check out Chateau Campot Lafon, a friend turned me on to it and its very good and relatively in-expensive.

XXX


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